Insights
by DJ Dubois
Summary: After watching Steve's reaction to the portraits in the army base, Natasha determines to find out more about Peggy Carter. (SPOILERS for Captain America The Winter Soldier). Story follows the movie for the most part. Please r & r...
1. Mid-Mission Observation

Insights  
DJ Dubois

April 2014

Pairings: Mostly Natasha-Peggy. Some Natasha-Steve. Of course Steve-Peggy implications….

Notes Part 1: SPOILERS for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" are contained in this story. You have been advised….

Notes Part 2: The characters from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" belong to Marvel and Universal. Please send comments to dante0220  .

Chapter 1 [Original SHIELD Headquarters—Army Base, Wheaton, NJ]

Despite being two hours from New York and an hour inland, a deserted army base seemed to be at the ends of the Earth. For decades, thick chains and padlocks across its chain linked fence's gates held the outside world at bay. Neglect marred the base during this time. Unmown grass swayed tall and free in the warm breeze. The barracks' brick facades chipped and corroded under _Tempus_' perpetual assault.

Ghosts of the past—both real and inspired by _Memoria_'s prompting—haunted the facility as well.

Just the place for the secrets of the past to languish…..

Natasha Romanov scratched her head in wonder. In her time as a master spy with the KGB and SHIELD, she had gained a great deal of insight into the people around herself. She'd learned to adjust to different strategies and personalities on the fly. She'd learned when to adhere to orders, when to compartimentalize and when to go 'constructively-rogue'. Such skills were a survival trait in her business.

Yet since she'd met Steve Rogers, it seemed her whole world had turned on its ear,

Well in all fairness, it hadn't been all him…. After all, she'd had to deal with Bruce Banner in India first on Nick Fury's behalf. Then she'd been swept up into the Avengers initiative and thrown into battle against Loki and his alien allies. And now she was dealing with a game of political high stakes poker worthy of the Cold War itself….

…and that wasn't counting Fury's death either.

She ground her teeth while following Steve out of the hidden elevator into the sublevel of SHIELD's original headquarters. _Why are we here? What could be so important? _She considered her guide curiously. _Rogers is seeing ghosts. Are we on a false lead? _She watched her guide survey the entry way.

Steve stopped in front of some pictures. His eyes locked on the two central portraits—a familiar man and a woman. Despite being in mid-mission, he allowed himself a rare moment to remember the pictures' subjects fondly. A smile creased his lips.

She recognized the man's portrait instantly from SHIELD's databases and his likeness to a certain industrialist/teammate. "That's Stark's father, isn't it?"

Steve nodded almost absently. "Howard." His eyes drifted toward Peggy's picture and stayed locked on it. Despite his lost love's telling him to move on recently, his heart relaxed and felt a warm tingle from her younger visage. He knew her advice had been out of concern for him. She wanted him to move on and have a life….

…she didn't want him to be alone and a wallflower all of his life….

_I don't care, Peggy. I don't need to dance with anyone else. _He sighed heavily and frowned.

Even though the Captain's back was turned to her, Natasha clearly read the emotions in his posturing. She heard the sigh. _What the Hell? Whoever she is, she definitely had some connection to him! _"Who's she?"

Steve didn't answer; his mind still on Peggy. For a full ten seconds, he didn't move an inch. Then he forced himself to move on….

…leaving the Widow's unanswered query along with his beloved's portrait….

Natasha considered the portrait for a brief second. Granted she'd poked and prodded Steve about potential dates and women of interest. She hated the fact that he was so wrapped up in duty and not in his life. But then she remembered something from Steve's file….

…the words Fury himself had added….

"_I had a date."_

_Could this be the woman with whom he had the date? _Granted both she and Steve had bigger fish to fry at the moment. However, as soon as the mission had wrapped itself up, she determined to get to the bottom of this particular mystery.

Having made that assertion, she followed him into the bowels of the ancient facility…..


	2. Revelatory Meeting

Chapter 2 [An Hour After the Senate Hearing—On the Outskirts of Alexandria, VA]

Natasha drove as rapidly as she could away from Washington. Frankly the meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee had gone as badly as she figured it would.

The members—all _men with either military insignia sparkling on their chests, suits with attitudes but no experience or both_—badgered her with nonsensical questions. They accused her and Steve of treason. They brought up her past reminding her that _"there are those on this Committee who feel given your service both to this country and against it that you should be in a penitentiary instead of shooting off your mouth on Capitol Hill"_.

_Funny how not one of them was with us on the front lines against Pierce and his Hydra infiltrators. _She rolled her eyes as she crossed the Virginia state line and chuckled knowingly to herself. "They were hiding and covering their own bottom lines. Too bad Fury or Hill wasn't in there."

Even as she said that to herself, she knew that the Old Boys' Club never would've allowed either of the SHIELD heads into the chamber. Experience had taught her about such Star Chamber tactics….

…which is why she basically put them in their place. _"You're not going to arrest him or me because you need us. If you want to, you know where to find me."_

The Viagra Clan therein had no response to that one…much to her satisfaction…..

Leaving them agape while turning coolly on her heel and marching out with the accompanying media throng in tow providing still more satisfying political theater represented icing on the cake as far as she was concerned….

_Rogers has enough issues with his life without those morons messing it up further. You think they'd have some sense of gratitude already. Not that he's that easy to deal with…_ She turned left while heading for a spot on the city's outskirts. As she did so, she ran through the list of available candidates for "Captain's Companion". _Can't believe I'm putting as much stock in this stuff. The guy's a century old and he can't even get himself a date! I mean really? _Granted at first, she did it to needle him….

…now the whole deal was becoming almost an obsession for her…and not for her usual reasons…

Despite their differences on politics and the bigger social issues, she admired Steve as a teammate, a tactician and as _a man_. Unlike a lot of other guys, he represented the real old fashioned gentleman…unfortunately one with a huge inferiority complex….

_Wish he'd give himself a chance! _As much as he had several of the ideal qualities she aimed for in a companion, she didn't want to deal with his issues. Besides she had enough to do in rebuilding her own life at that point without dragging herself into it.

A buzz from her beeper brought her back to her senses. It read: _"Truck on corner of Arlington and Hudson."_

She nodded; her mind snapping back into serious business mode. _Lonely hearts club later. Get with it, Widow. _She turned a sharp left onto Arlington. Immediately she spied an old military transport truck parked in a deserted lot by the corner. She pulled into the lot and parked.

Beside the vehicle, a male figure in a hooded sweatshirt talked with Maria Hill and a blonde woman who seemed familiar for some reason. The hood obscured his features so that Natasha could tell his identity from the back. Still she figured his identity. "Colonel Fury?" she asked cautiously.

Fury pulled down his hood revealing his shaven head and familiar eye patch over the left eye. He was inspecting a small packing box full of paperwork. "Agent Romanov, glad you could make it. Hill and I had a bet whether they'd try to arrest you or not."

Natasha arched an eyebrow at her superior. "They wanted to. They threatened Rogers and me. I put that one to rest."

Hill shrugged and slipped a rolled up bill into his hand. "I'm glad they didn't. Intelligence feeds had them ready to cart you out of there in handcuffs."

"They would've _tried_," Natasha insisted. She'd seen how Steve had escaped from the SHIELD elevator. "They should put their energy into finding the Winter Soldier instead."

"That is if Captain Rogers doesn't do that himself. As much as I'd like you both and Sam Wilson with me, I suspect that's his first mission. I say he's earned that much," he presumed.

"And where are you heading?" Natasha wondered.

"Europe. Can't say why though. That's need to know. Even if Rogers doesn't get that, I know you do," he replied. "You can come with me."

Natasha shook her head. "Now that my entire life's been exposed, I need to rebuild my cover identities and affiliations."

"I'm sure Stark would help you," Hill chimed in. "As much as you two chafe on each other, Pepper Potts speaks highly of you. We can't stay in the field forever. I start at Stark Industries as a receptionist day after tomorrow."

"Really?" Natasha frowned. She'd have thought that Hill merited an analyst position or better given her experience and tactical ability. _Just another blackballing by those old fools! _"Spying's in my blood."

"You sound like Captain Rogers," the blonde determined. "He's into his duty too."

Natasha considered the slender blonde carefully. She thought the latter seemed familiar. For the previous few minutes, she'd cycled through a list of faces trying to match this newcomer to a name. "Wait. You're the nurse who lives next door to him."

"She's more than that, Agent Romanov," he corrected her with a bit of mirth in his eyes. "Agent 13, this is Natasha Romanov. Agent Romanov, Agent 13."

"I also go by Sharon Carter," Sharon noted firmly while shaking the Widow's hand. "I've been keeping an eye on Captain Rogers. I wanted to make sure he was all right. The nurse role was a cover for my true purpose. He only found out when Barnes shot the Colonel. It's too bad really. I was enjoying the assignment."

"I'll bet. Did you get any interest?" Natasha queried almost impetuously.

Sharon nodded. "He actually invited me into his apartment. Granted it was only to use his washing machine. Still he did offer me a cup of coffee."

"Really?" Despite the nature of the meeting, that tidbit definitely attracted her attention. "Other than that portrait back at the old SHIELD base, Rogers hasn't shown that interest in anyone."

"Portrait?" Hill queried not understanding the Widow's point.

Recalling the old bunker, he deduced, "You mean the pictures by the elevator…there's one of Stark's father there. The other one—you mean the dark haired woman, correct?"

"That's right. You know who she is?" Natasha wondered.

He folded his arms almost in disbelief at the former Russian's need to identify the other picture. "This has really gotten to you, hasn't it?" He let the point hang for a minute before deciding to humor her. "Yes. We do. Actually Agent Carter and I both do." He looked at Sharon expectantly. "It's your aunt, Agent Carter."

"Your aunt?"

"During the war, she was Agent Margaret Carter. She served alongside Captain Rogers. Apparently they got very close." Sharon allowed herself to recall the stories she'd heard the woman she knew as Aunt Peggy tell during her childhood. "It was apparently Captain Rogers' only meaningful relationship prior to the Valkyrie standoff with the Red Skull." She considered the Widow for a minute. "You're interested in him, aren't you?"

"He's too complicated for me. Call it a need to see him have someone and move on. Besides, as I just said, I need to rebuild my own life before bringing anyone else into it," Natasha declined. "I had never seen him show such interest. He keeps pushing women away…but not your aunt."

"He loves her. While Aunt Peggy married my uncle and has lived a great life, she never got over him either. Quite a pity that circumstance didn't allow them to be together." Sharon shrugged forlornly. "I wouldn't mind going out with him now that the assignment's over. I would feel like I'm stepping on Aunt Peggy's toes." Then she considered the Widow. "Would you like to meet her?"

"I'd like to know more about her," Natasha indicated. "It'll give me something to do besides rebuilding the files."

"We can get you into the hospital under an alias," he agreed. "Now, back to business…I have your old papers, Agent Romanov. Figured you should decide what happens to them."

Natasha walked over to the box. She fingered through the Cyrillic passport as well as her old mission papers and files from her KGB days. For a brief minute, she allowed herself to remember those days. Then she pushed the box away. "Burn it with everything else. I don't need those items. Besides Kiev will be in touch soon enough."

"Kiev? What the Hell?" he queried with alarm.

"It's a favor for Rogers. I called in some favors for information," Natasha assured them. "On Barnes."

"As long as it doesn't stir up too big of a hornet's nest, fine. It'll shorten up Rogers' damn mission." He turned to Sharon. "Whatever happens, you're to accompany him. Understood, Agent 13?"

Sharon nodded without hesitation. "Understood." Of course her reasons crossed the gambit. She would keep watch over the blonde haired Avenger for him and her aunt. Besides she and the Captain were friends of a sort. "I'll speak with him soon. The CIA has assigned me to watch him."

"You do that. Well, Folks, we'd best get this show on the road. I don't want anyone catching my zombie act here," he declared. He shook hands with Hill first. "Good luck, Agent Hill. Don't let Stark get on your case too badly."

"I won't, Colonel. It's been an honor," Hill assured him.

"Agent 13, good luck too. Captain America's not easy to keep up with," he advised sagely.

"I think I can do it, Colonel Fury. Let me know if we can help you too," Sharon replied as they shook hands. "Good luck, Sir."

"Thank you," Fury accepted. "Natasha, keep your head down and _both eyes open. _Understand? Deal with this side search of yours. It's distracting you. Rogers is a big boy. He can find his own stuff. Head in the game. You know what being distracted means in our business."

"Yes," Natasha conceded. She took the censure in the gruff yet caring spirit which it was meant. "I'll be in touch when the time comes. Meantime I need to get off the grid too." She shook his hand firmly. _"__Do svidanya__." _

"Good luck," he concluded.

"I'll be in touch, Agent Romanov," Sharon declared. "I need to arrange everything with my aunt. Look for a call tomorrow morning."

"I'll be waiting," Natasha expressed. "Meantime I have to meet my contact for that information on Barnes." She walked back to her jet black car and climbed in. She punched the gas and took off toward her temporary lodgings in the Virginia countryside. Her mind swam between the details of the looming meet with her contact and Peggy's identity. _Of course they know who she is! Fury's right! Damn it! Focus! You'll meet her soon enough!_

The details of the mystery had started to clear. That was for sure….


	3. Prep Work

Chapter 3 [Next Morning—Easeway Motel, Foxton, VA]

After a crisp starry evening, the morning dawned quietly. Not many vehicles passed down Route 217 between Charlottesville and the northern part of the commonwealth at that hour. Foxton's attempt at a rush hour barely constituted a minor tie up to DC Beltway veterans.

Given what she was going on, that made the hamlet the perfect hideaway…..

Natasha skimmed several web directories while looking for leads at cover careers. She really wished she could trying teaching English and foreign languages again. _Nancy Rushman was a bit boring but she could keep a job without much excitement. _In the old days, she would've taken off for some Podunk town well removed from the grid and let the role take on a life of its own.

She rolled her eyes at the naïve thought. _These aren't the old days! I'd need money and resources to bring that cover up to date. I don't really have a lot of both. Besides any background check will pull up my file too. So much for that! _Still she'd file the thought for its potential in any event….

…it was better than having to grovel to Stark for a job….

She turned to the two files sitting on her end table. Both held key importance for Steve…in fact…one might argue they represented THE key elements….

…his two closest friends….

James "Bucky" Barnes—former best friend from the old neighborhood and now the Winter Soldier

Margaret "Peggy" Carter—agent for the British and later US Armies…not to mention the Love of Cap's Life….

_No wonder Rogers keeps everything inside! _She'd already read the Captain's dossier in an effort to get a handle on his almost-kamikaze sense of duty. Now she saw things in the files' pages…

…loyalty shown in Rogers resulted in fierce love and drive in return….

_And now Rogers is going to go into Hell itself to get Barnes out. Hope Agent 13's up to the task! _She sipped on a cup of Irish Crème coffee while perusing Peggy's file. Despite initial expectations of finding a simpering choir girl in those pages, Natasha had been pleasantly surprised by Peggy's iron fortitude. She discovered that the woman whose picture had seized the Captain's attention in the bunker was more than just a hopeless whim for him….

…in every way Peggy was his worthy partner….

_And now he's coming back while she's withered away. What a waste! _She frowned while setting down the file. She determined to meet the former agent both to satisfy her curiosity and maybe to make a friend in her own right….

…any woman who could hold her own in that boy's club deserved respect as far as Natasha was concerned….

Her cell buzzed cutting into her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Agent Romanov, this is Agent 13. I spoke with the patient. She'd be delighted to meet you," Sharon explained. "Can you be at the facility at 1 PM?"

"I will be there." Natasha checked Peggy's file while discerning the nursing home's location. "Thank you, Agent Carter. I do appreciate this."

"You're welcome. She thanks you too for being there for the Captain. Leave some time afterwards. I wish to speak with you about something," Sharon continued. "See you by the clock in the parking lot, Agent Romanov." With that she hung up.

Natasha disconnected the call with a quick touch of her finger and set the phone down. _At least Carter's on the mark. Let's hope the visit doesn't cause her aunt to have a heart attack! And what does she want to talk with me about afterwards? Could it be about Rogers' crusade with Barnes. I've already said to count me out. Terrific. Maybe that's the price of being indulged like this. Tremendous! _She shut Peggy's file and slid it into a leather valise beside Barnes' folder.

She checked the clock—10: 30.

_Maybe I can catch Rogers before he leaves. _She headed for the bathroom to get a quick shower before heading out to make the delivery….

…and get the information she wanted in the process….


	4. The Visit with Peggy

Chapter 4 [Cutherford Retirement Home—Outskirts of Washington DC—12:54 PM]

After talking with Steve and Sam Wilson by Fury's supposed gravesite, Natasha stood under the obsidian clock on its metallic post. She hoped that the Captain would take her advice and _not follow _the lead contained in Barnes' file….

…that he would allow his memory of Bucky to remain untarnished by the present….

_Fat chance of that happening! _She sipped on a cappuccino and shook her head. Perhaps she should've taken Fury's offer after all and gone to Europe with him. She strongly considered saying as much when she saw him talking with the others at the cemetery….

…but she had a duty to herself too…Once again her world needed rebuilding….

_Maybe after today, I can focus on that! As Fury said, get to the bottom of this search, satisfy your curiosity and then move on. _That insight merited another draught from her hot drink. She checked her watch and surveyed the scene around herself.

No sign of Agent 13 yet.

Then again, she half expected a squad of SWAT officers to be waiting there too. Hence why she had her widow's bite bracelets on and ready to fire if needed.

_Might as well keep cool about it. No need to invite trouble if none's around! _She arched an eyebrow and sighed heavily. _What is with you? Calm down. You've met other people like Peggy Carter. She's only a human being. So what if Rogers can't get over her? I really need a workout later. _She composed herself burying her own insecurities in the process.

Sharon walked briskly toward her position. As with Natasha, her eyes darted this way and that guardedly as if part of some clandestine mission. At precisely 12:59 PM, she shook hands with her former Russian counterpart. "Thanks for coming, Agent Romanov."

Natasha arched an eyebrow. "Thanks for setting this all up. Are we still on?"

"Yes. The CIA has provided you with open access. Follow me," Sharon instructed.

Natasha nodded and silently followed the other agent into the facility. After checking in at the desk, she instinctively took another look around the floor….

…nothing seemed out of the ordinary….

Still something didn't feel quite right or normal for some reason. Perhaps her mind still fixated about her guide's need to meet after the visit. Admittedly she'd wondered what Agent 13 wanted to divulge later. _Fury and Hill have vouched for her. Carter knows not to mess with Rogers. So what is it?_

"Something troubling you?" Sharon queried empathetically. She pushed the elevator's call button.

"I'm fine. Let's go and meet your aunt," Natasha insisted as they walked into the open car and watched the doors close…..

[Peggy's Room]

Even as her visitors rode the elevator toward her floor, the patient in question hobbled about her room with effort. She knew her doctors would've preferred her to stay in bed or sit comfortably in the chair over by the window. She also understood the nurses would've liked to handle the greetings and such.

However Peggy would not be treated like an invalid. She dealt with the burning in her arthritic left knee while smoothing her white blouse and dark skirt. She inspected her hair which her niece had combed so carefully for her only fifteen minutes before….

…perhaps nonogenerianism had taken a step from her dancing shoes. Still she was Peggy Carter Simmons. She would stand tall and carry herself dutifully no matter what. Much as she would have done in her military days or even in the home she'd shared with her late husband, Reginald, after the war, she'd laid out a spread of lemon cookies on the table. With the nurse's help, she'd arranged for an insulated thermos of coffee to sit beside it.

Granted, between her involvement in the war and SHIELD, she'd dealt with some notoriety over the years. While she did accept a few thanks from important dignitaries and well-wishers, she'd turned down the majority of visitors since the war. Perhaps, much as her Captain did, Peggy believed that duty was its own reward. Consequently she didn't wish to be thanked for doing the right thing.

_At least Reginald accepted my feelings toward Steve. He knew as well as I that Steve's sacrifices made it all possible. Thank you, Captain! _Peggy's heart skipped a beat. She shed a happy tear while gazing at the black and white pictures on her nightstand. _I wish you could have this too! _She hobbled over to the table and sat in her chair for a minute to catch her breath.

Perhaps that was why she'd agreed to meet Natasha Romanov.

Admittedly she chafed at the thought of being "brought out of the closet" like some relic from Steve's past. When she'd advised Steve to move on, she'd meant it. She didn't want him or his friends worrying about her. She'd made due following the plane crash and Steve's disappearance. She'd lived a full life. Now, in the late autumn of her life, she wanted to see her Captain as happy as she'd been….

She'd advised him as much….

…even if the words cut at her heart as much as she knew they'd cut at his….

_Cut it out. Steve has better things to do than looking after an old bag of bones like yourself. If this Romanov woman can arrange something, maybe it might help him too! _Still Peggy shook her head….

…she wished that _Tempus _could grant her another half century of vitality...

The expectant knocking from the door cut those thoughts off.

"Aunt Peggy? It's Sharon," Sharon called from the hallway. "Can I come in?" She peeked into the room.

"Of course, Dear." Peggy's eyes shone warmly. She managed her best smile despite Age's aches and pains. She stood as straight and tall as she could manage. "Is Ms. Romanov with you?"

"She's waiting outside." Sharon entered the room slowly. Granted she knew well of the older woman's sustained grace and insistence on a show of dignity at all times. She smiled at the determination. "I wanted to see if you needed any help first."

Peggy embraced her great-niece. "And I love you for it, Sharon. Ms. Romanov has waited long enough. Please bring her in. I wish to meet one of the Captain's new teammates."

"Just a second." Peggy stuck her head out the door. "She's ready."

Natasha nodded. _Here we go. Hope she can deal with my questions. _She entered the room slowly. She looked over the slightly hunched snow haired woman in front of herself. She didn't fail to recognize the effort on the resident's part to effort her way across the rugged expanse to greet her.

Admiration once again sprung up in the Widow's mind. Much as she had felt during her reading of Peggy's SSR files, she respected the other woman and could see why the Captain felt as he did even after all of those years since the war. "Mrs. Simmons, it's a pleasure." She held out her hand.

"And it's a pleasure to meet one of the Avengers. I appreciate…how you're a friend as well as a teammate to him," Peggy replied slowly. She silently cursed how she needed to hesitate every few words to catch a breath. She managed a strong a handshake with the younger woman as she could. "Please have a seat. I've…arranged for some refreshments." She motioned with her head toward the table.

Natasha expressed, "Captain Rogers is a valued teammate, Mrs. Simmons. As with Colonel Fury and your niece, I'm trying to help him. Would you like a hand?"

"Thank you, Ms. Romanov. I shall be fine," Peggy declined with a small smile tugging at the sides of her mouth. "Help yourselves please. Then we can have our chat." She hobbled back over to the chair proudly and eased her way into its cushioned embrace. When the guests had a couple of cookies and a cup of coffee apiece, she inspected them both. "So on edge, both of you. You don't need to impress me."

"You're a pioneer, Mrs. Simmons. You broke through a great many barriers. You held your own in the Old Boys' Club. You and Howard Start founded SHIELD. That deserves respect. I can see why he feels the way he does about you," Natasha insisted. She took a measured draught from her cup while watching the hostess' reactions.

Despite the attempt to maintain her mask, Peggy's eyes lit up for a brief second. A brief whimsical smile passed across her mouth before she reasserted the poker face. "Certainly he doesn't go on about me that much, does he? I told him to move on."

"Love is a rare thing. True love is even rarer, Aunt Peggy," Sharon interjected.

Natasha nodded in agreement. "He doesn't _talk _about you hardly at all. Yet I saw him _look _at your portrait. This is a man who doesn't show any interest in dating and struggles around other women. But you _stopped him in his tracks._"

"Oh, Steve…How I wish he wasn't in this mess," Peggy lamented. "He never was all that comfortable around women." She gazed out the window out onto the parking lot below. "We met on that base you both were at, Ms. Romanov. Even before he became the Captain, Steve struggled. I do wish Mr. Barnes had lived." She sighed heavily. "He's lost so much, you know."

"I gathered that from his file. But the fact he found you again…that you inspire him….That made me want to find you, Mrs. Simmons," Natasha revealed earnestly. She wasn't about to reveal the Winter Soldier's true identity to the elderly woman. "Don't push him away."

"He doesn't need me weighing him down. I've had my life. He's yet to live his," Peggy admonished. She squeezed Sharon's hand in emphasis.

"When you're in our line of business, every day can be the last. Best thing is to be happy." Natasha smiled at her hostess. "If you can make someone else happy, all the better. Not all of us get that chance." She patted the older woman's shoulder gently. "I don't want to keep you too long."

Sharon watched the interchange carefully. Granted Natasha had extensive training in handling people and sizing up situations. Still she was impressed by the normally gruff Black Widow's caring and delicate handling of the situation. Moreover, she saw the light in her aunt's eyes—a light that sometimes had shown through from time to time during her growing up. She reached into her pocket; her fingers playing with a glass vial and a folded piece of paper therein. _If we can make this work…. _She excused herself, "Aunt Peggy, before we leave, I need a word with Ms. Romanov out in the hall if we can? I promise it'll just take a minute."

Natasha eyed the other agent curiously. The meeting was almost over. Certainly Peggy needed her rest so as not to overexert herself. While she hoped to have another visit (or more) to find out more, consideration was to be expected.

"Of course, Dear," Peggy relented. Still she wondered as well what her niece was up to. "Go on, Ms. Romanov, it's all right. It'll give me a chance to…catch my breath."

"Thank you, Mrs. Simmons. It'll take just a second," Natasha expressed with a warm smile. Then she followed Sharon into the hallway and closed the door over behind them.

_Whatever are they talking about? _Peggy wondered. "I wish I wasn't complicating things."

She waited for them to come back; her mind burning with questions….

…she wasn't the only one….


	5. Hallway Discussion

Chapter 5

Sharon stopped herself around the corner from her aunt's door; her mind swimming with the visit's implications. She'd seen the elderly lady's eyes light up again as they had again in previous days….

…in ways she'd never seen around her Uncle Reggie and the cousins….

_Cut it out. You know Aunt Peggy cared for them. _She bit her lip and glanced back down the hall anxiously. She remembered how doting the older woman had been during her early years especially with the summers after her parents divorced. She smiled at the memories of the beach trips with the extended family.

Granted her aunt had been detached at times but she always cared. She always put others above herself. She did her duty to the larger picture first….

…maybe that's why the deaths hit so hard…burying each member of that family and pretending to move on….

Sharon glanced back toward the door. She saw Natasha hovering and watching somehow knowing that she needed to work through the issues crashing around in her head. She took a deep breath and removed the glass vial from her pocket. From the initial SSR file, she'd seen that Howard Stark had developed it as a 'happiness pill' in the event that things worked out as they were at that point….

…it was the potential Fountain of Youth….

Just on the previous day, at the combined prodding by Fury, Hill and others at Stark International, Tony Stark had tested it to determine its viability after the decades-long wait in storage….

…in between all of the 'Boy Scout' barbs, the younger Stark signed off on the formula instructing that it be put right in Peggy's hands directly. He added in a rare show of concern for his fellow Avenger that the matter remain in close discretion…

….probably because Tony knew the mess that could erupt especially in the wake of the whole Winter Soldier situation….

Sharon handled the sealed envelope with awe. More than once in the previous day, she'd pondered the deeper meaning of the note inside. She wondered how much that "Greatest Generation" actually cared about her aunt and Captain America. _How big of a debt did they owe them? They could've mass marketed this and made more millions. And yet they hung onto it for Aunt Peggy and Rogers. Unreal! _

Perhaps it was possible for the physician to heal herself….Maybe Peggy had happiness in that vial….

Sharon signaled Natasha over. "Sorry, Agent Romanov, about that. Thanks for the minute with my thoughts."

"You seemed like you needed it," Natasha assessed. She looked at the vial and note. "What are those?"

"A fail safe from World War 2. After Captain Rogers disappeared, Howard Stark knew Aunt Peggy would always search and look despite moving on. From what I read last night, he worked on a youth serum just in case," Sharon recounted.

"I remember trying to get it for the KGB. We thought it was a myth," Natasha remembered. Seeing Sharon shake her head, she stopped short. "Are you _serious_?"

Sharon produced the vial. "This is it. Colonel Fury had Tony Stark test it yesterday. Chemical composition hasn't degenerated at all."

"And if it works, your aunt can be with Rogers," Natasha surmised. She recalled the Captain's words from the drive to the base. _"It's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience….I'm 95 not dead…."_ "Wow. Now there's a thought."

"Tell me about it. I want to give this to her. Stark's father wanted her to have it in this event," Sharon added. "Just think what she can do. She can be a killer analyst for us too. I'm worried about the side effects."

"Did Stark do any tests?" Natasha did recall questions about the formula's viability during those initial Kremlin sessions. "Granted it could kill her."

"He did. It's still in its original composition. I'm going to take it to her. She's given so much to us over the years. She's pining away with the memories in that room, Agent Romanov. She deserves so much more," Sharon insisted.

"As does Rogers. They can help each other," Natasha concurred. "Come on."

"Just like that? You aren't arguing with me?" Sharon stopped aghast.

Natasha shook her head. "As you said in the room, love is rare. _True love is even rarer_. Sometimes a risk needs to be taken. If it helps Rogers, then fine. You didn't see _how _he stared at that portrait. I did. He'll never get over your aunt. Come on. Let's talk with her."

Sharon nodded having received affirmation for the decision. She followed the former Russian back toward her aunt's room knowing the Rubicon loomed closely in the distance…

…for her aunt and Rogers alike…for them all….


	6. A Leap for a Dance

Chapter 6

Peggy sipped on a cup of tea with concern. The so-called 'brief discussion' had turned into a five minute affair. She worried about her great-niece knowing how the latter could brood over things. _I wish she'd accept that we all need to move on. _She tapped her fingers on the nightstand impatiently.

In response the old questions and feelings reared their ugly heads burning at the elderly woman's brain and heart.

_Cut it out. You can never be with Steve. If you love him, you'll push him away. _She fiercely wiped Lament's dew from her eyes. Despite her words, her heart drove her hand forward. Underneath her family's pictures, she opened the drawer and pulled out a rather inconspicuous manila envelope. She opened it and pulled out a small picture inside….

…the one of Steve a couple of days prior to Erksine's procedure….

As she gazed on the image, a feeling of warmth rushed across herself. A surge of strength and hope steeled her heart. A smile creased her lips.

In that second, she knew she'd been lying to herself as well as to Steve on these things…

_Reginald, forgive me. I know you understood. How I care about you for that. I still love the Captain. _She sighed deeply and put the picture down on the table firmly next to her husband's. _I just wish I could stand beside him and not be seen as a cougar or worse! _She frowned deeply wondering how people would take such a thing.

Steve wouldn't care. Maybe that's all she needed to know in the long run.

_Maybe Sharon can get him to come back. I can tell him I don't care about the age difference. I can make him happy anyway. Reginald would want me to be happy after all of this time. _Peggy sucked in a deep breath and nodded to herself. She would help her Captain adjust in the small time she had left in the world—no matter what that time exactly entailed.

"Aunt Peggy?" Sharon called. "Sorry we were gone so long. We got into that discussion too deep." She noted the small picture on the counter but said nothing about it.

Noting the serious expression on the other woman's face, Natasha wondered, "Are you all right, Mrs. Simmons? We didn't upset you, did we?"

"No, Dear, you did not." Peggy smiled warmly. "You've inspired me actually."

"We have? In what way, Aunt Peggy?" Sharon queried wondering where her aunt was going with that insight.

"Everyone is taking time to help the Captain and me despite how busy your lives are. I don't want to rot in here and deny him. Maybe I don't have that much time left, Girls. That being said, I can help him adjust and love him." Peggy snickered to herself. "I care for my husband and kids. Yet they'd want me to be happy. We all owe our lives to the Captain's sacrifice. I can sacrifice myself if needed."

The two visitors glanced expectantly at each other before Sharon broke the silence. "That's great, Auntie. We were actually talking about that in the hall. What if it was possible?"

"What if _what was possible_, Sharon?" Peggy considered her great-niece's brewing question almost smelling something monstrous lurking underneath its veneer. "I can't turn back the clock. Neither can you."

"Perhaps we can," Natasha hinted with a smile.

"Ms. Romanov, please!" Peggy coughed almost indignantly. "We can no sooner go back to that time than travel to the future! That's the stuff of science fiction novels! Rubbish!"

Sharon produced the envelope from her pocket. "This letter, Aunt Peggy, has been sitting in SHIELD's archives for the past fifty years. Apparently Howard Stark wrote it but didn't tell you." She handed the yellowed envelope to her great aunt. "Did he have any secret projects while you both were there?"

"There were a couple, Sharon. He always felt guilty about what happened. I know he tried some things in that regard and…." The nonogenerian's eyes went wide. "You mean he accomplished something?"

"Read the note and find out," Sharon supposed.

Peggy rolled her eyes stubbornly. She really didn't want to humor such thoughts either for herself, the visitors or Steve. Why look back toward the past? For several long seconds, she studied the ancient envelope with care; her innermost feelings fighting a tug of war for her heart.

The visitors' eyes goaded her forward by their insistent vigil boring into her very brain in the process.

"Oh very well." She turned the envelope over. "That is Howard Stark's handwriting all right." She took the edge of her butter knife and slit it open. Then she unfolded and smoothed the creaky parchment paper until it stood at attention in her hands. Her eyes studied the lines and went wide. "This cannot be! Bloody rubbish!"

"What does it say, Aunt Peggy?" Sharon queried expectantly.

The older woman rolled her eyes. "As if! Listen to this….

_March 14, 1965_

_Dear Margaret,_

_As we enjoy the treasures of our decades-long friendship, I look back over the days since World War II. It's a long way from the front, isn't it? We have a successful collaboration as part of SHIELD. Our families grow more by the minute it seems. Reginald and Maria grant us happiness. Paul, Winnie and Tony are the lights of our lives._

_And yet I still sense you are looking backwards…your heart is still searching the Arctic wastes for Steve Rogers. Even as you do your duty, we, your friends, know this to be true. As much as some of us can truly move on, you can't. I admire how you keep your duty to Reginald even if you're still thinking of the Captain. _

_To this end, I have finally devised an elixir to reverse Time's aging—a Fountain of Youth you might call it. However it is been secreted in such a way that if you see it and this letter, I presume that Rogers has returned from his icy grave. The elixir is the key. It will restore your youth and enable you to stand beside Rogers in the way you should have had the Valkyrie not gone down to its watery death. It will give you back those lost years._

_Margaret, you've helped make Maria and me so happy. Now I along with your colleagues at SHIELD want you to be happy. We stand behind your happiness. You can put that down in stone…._

_The decision's yours. Frankly I know what I would do if I was in your shoes._

_Thank you for many years of friendship, Margaret, to Maria and me. Best luck with this experiment. I hope you and Steve can be happy._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Howard Stark_"

Peggy stared at the letter in disbelief. He'd talked with her about such things over coffee. Maybe in flights of fancy, he'd make some light hearted reference especially in the early days following his rescuing her from the 'Boys Office' in New York. He'd had several failures in that regard often provoking lengthy bouts of depression and dejection. After a while, he stopped altogether.

Now she knew why.

Howard offered a do-over from beyond the grave. He'd actually _succeeded_ but kept it largely to himself. Now, instead of mass marketing the serum, he offered it to her….

…Friendship and love over increased wealth….

"And this serum? It actually exists?" Peggy wondered.

Sharon nodded curtly before bringing out the glass vial. She allowed the sunlight to catch the glass and the viscous liquid inside of it allowing them both to sparkle and shine invitingly. As she did so, she studied her great-aunt's eyes and saw the need and desire bubbling up against the mask there. "This is it, Aunt Peggy."

Noting Natasha's silence, Peggy queried, "Did you know of this, Ms. Romanov?"

"Not until Sharon and I spoke in the hallway, Mrs. Simmons. Frankly I'm just as surprised as you are. Still, as I told Captain Rogers, you do need to reinvent yourself at times. The situation needs you back out in the field. Granted there's risk but there's also reward as well," Natasha replied with serious thought.

Peggy scratched her chin while slowly sipping from her coffee. She'd long accepted the aches and pains of a senior citizen's life. Frankly she'd adjusted to them and still managed a full life between the shuffleboard, painting in the atrium downstairs, listening to the music of her own era, being wheeled around the gardens by the interns and the visits by Sharon. She had everything that a woman of her age could expect….

…and yet….

More lay out there.

She considered the pictures on her nightstand. With the exception of Sharon, her family members had passed on decades earlier. Her activities remained dependent on younger people around herself.

Now the Captain needed her. He needed help in adjusting to this new world. He thirsted for a companion who shared his interests….

….She needed to show him how to move to _this new world's dance_….

Her heart sped up a couple of beats considering that thought.

She also knew that Howard wouldn't offer it to her unless he'd tested it himself somehow. Still she thought it most bloody curious that nobody told her about it especially given her standing within the organization at that point.

Her mind immediately seized on the big risk. The elixir could kill her if it interacted badly with her system. It might leave her alive but as a vegetable. A long litany of other possible side effects cascaded across her conscious mind as well….

…but the chance to be with Steve again….

…to build a family with him…to love him and be loved by him this time….

She looked to the picture of her family again. "Reginald,….I'm sure…you understand. You were always so…good to us. I…know you'd…want me…to be happy. I know…you'd want…the Captain to be happy. I will always love and care for you all." She kissed the picture and set it back on the polished surface. Then she took a firm breath and held her hand out. "I'm ready."

"You're going to do it?" Natasha queried.

"Yes, Ms. Romanov, I am. I realize there is a risk involved. I could die among other things. However I have lived a full life. Things could happen around here anyhow. Bloody hell. At my age, I could die in my sleep. One never knows. So why not try to be happy? Why not try to make the Captain happy? I could sit here and pine over it like some schoolgirl all day. Or I can try to make it happen." Peggy held her hand out. "Sharon, it's time."

Sharon exchanged anxious looks with Natasha before slowly surrendering the vial to her great aunt. Granted she wanted the other woman to be happy…

…but she didn't want her Aunt Peggy to die in the process….

"Don't look so nervous, Dear. It will be all right," Peggy assured her great-niece. She slowly turned the cap and removed it with great effort. Each slow, deliberate and arthritic turn brought its own group of thoughts and memories to the fore. She slowly raised the vial toward her parched lips. "Remember that." She glanced at the pre-procedure picture of Steve resting on the nightstand and toasted, "To us, Captain, may we finally have that dance."

And with that salute, she drank the elixir…without hesitation or remorse. Within a few seconds, she'd drained the vial and set it on the nightstand again. She rubbed her throat as the liquid burned on its way down toward her stomach.

"Aunt Peggy, how are you doing?" Sharon inquired while collecting the empty vial and concealing it in her pocket once again. "Agent Romanov?"

"We can only watch now," Natasha advised the other agent tersely. She of course wanted this to work for Rogers' sake as well as her own. Granted they all could use another ally in the fold. But she also wanted the elderly woman to be happy in her own right. Even if she wasn't usually given to such things, she bowed her head in a silent prayer on behalf of their hostess at that moment.

Peggy spasmed in the chair. She felt as if a thousand needles were plunging through her skin, Her muscles and blood felt as if a fire burned through them. She shook and trembled. Her eyes dilated and seemed to go blank.

"Aunt Peggy!" Sharon worried.

"It…is…all right," Peggy advised the younger Carter. "Let…this…play out." She clenched the arm rests fiercely and ground her teeth. For several minutes she endured the process.

Then the wonders started unfolding before their eyes.

Peggy's breathing deepened.

Her skin regained its youthful elasticity. It lost its blemishes.

Threads of deepening chocolate brown flowed from her scalp down the white strands melting Age's wintry hold over her hair's locks.

She moved her fingers gracefully once again unhindered by Arthritis' bonds.

Sharon stared at her aunt and then at Natasha. "It worked. It actually worked."

"Yeah it did." Natasha folded her arms across her chest with a satisfied smirk. She knew of course that Tony Stark would crow in the press over this achievement while trying to steal the credit from his father. But on that front, she didn't care. She was already thinking of the benefits that a newly-revitalized Peggy Carter could have for the world as an agent, a woman….

…a surprise blind date for a certain stick in the mud Captain America….

Admittedly_ that thought_ coaxed a chuckle from her mouth.

"Something funny, Ms. Romanov?" Peggy queried while rising to face the former KGB agent. She was still amazed by how her joints moved so fluidly once again….

…as they hadn't for at least thirty years….

She almost felt like she was gliding while walking across the room. She gazed into the mirror and jumped at the visage therein….

…the image of the war time Agent Carter primly stared back at her.

"Howard did it," Peggy realized. "I'm young again." She allowed her mask to drop while running her hands across her face. "I'm young again!"

"And you feeling all right, Aunt Peggy?" Sharon asked with some trepidation.

"I'm feeling simply smashing, Sharon. Thank you, Dear, for asking," Peggy assured her while kissing the younger woman on the forehead. "Granted I'm sure Tony will have to keep watch for side effects. Still let's think positively, shall we?" She considered her situation. "I'll definitely need new clothes. These will never do."

"I have that under control," Natasha declared. "I just have to make a call. Then we can take a drive." She got on her cell phone and walked across the room.

Sharon shook her head in wonder. "I can't believe it worked. I'm so happy for you but…."

"I know." Peggy's eyes shone into her great-niece's. "Now I can serve again as well."

Sharon embraced her aunt happily. She'd dreamed of such adventures since childhood. Now they could become reality….

…a reality Peggy readily had embraced….

_Brace yourself, my Captain. Hope you're ready for that dance! _Peggy smiled at the prospect as she considered herself in the mirror again. Granted service would embrace many levels much as did for Steve….

…but once again she was a worthy partner for him…at long last….


	7. Meeting on the Way to the Airport

Chapter 7

[Three Hours Later—Steve's Apartment]

[A/N: There's a reference to a character you don't see in the movie coming up but who is in the Captain America comic back in the 1970s. Don't worry she fits right in….g]

With the sun's last waning rays, Steve laid his gear out across his bed studiously. He eye balled the flash bombs, smoke grenades and three gas canisters sitting beside his shield and costume to insure everything was in order.

Within hours he and Sam Wilson would be air lifted to London on the first stage of their mission….

…._the first stage of getting Bucky back…._

…_Bucky…._

He sighed while recalling the memories of himself and his best childhood friend. In truth, they'd been more like brothers than friends. He appreciated Bucky's unflagging support in those days and later in the service….

…including the apparent death dive into the ravine….

…and now pulling him out of the water after their last battle….

_Bucky, I will get you out of there. We will get you back! _Steve considered Peggy's advice to him once again about moving on. He frowned. _I can't quit on any of you no matter what! _He clenched his fist in determination.

He couldn't quit on any of his allies no matter how impossible things seemed…

That included Peggy. While he endured Natasha's suggestions not to mention other women's less than subtle hints, Steve knew where his heart needed to be. Yes he was there in this 'post-modern' world (whatever that meant). Yes there were changes to be made and endured.

But why couldn't that be with his two greatest friends from _their own era _at his side?

He placed the weaponized gear into a duffel bag and zipped it shut. At least MI-6 still remembered his service to the Allies even if the CIA and FBI had their issues. It seemed ironic…almost repulsive really…what Fury had said to him during that tour of the helicarrier construction site.

_Some of us think it's long past time you got onboard with the program, Cap._

_Don't hold your breath, Sir…._

Steve shook his head. He was doing his best to adjust to this newer social paradigm. But even his friends couldn't completely understand him…or he them for that matter. _Table it for now, Rogers. Just get on with the mission. MI-6 will brief Sam and you when you get to London. _

As he was about to step outside, his phone buzzed.

"Who'd call now?" He glanced at the display to see Natasha's picture on it. "I thought you'd taken off to find yourself?"

"And _hi yourself. _I'm about to do so, Rogers. Just ran into an important piece of intel for your mission. Glad I caught you. Wilson's already waiting on you in front of your building. He knows where to meet me."

"Where to meet you? What's the intel?" he insisted.

"Not over the phone, Cap. See you when we're secure. Thanks," she concluded before hanging up. _Just wait until you get that information too. I can't wait to get your reaction!_

He shut the phone off and checked the apartment one last time. Feeling secure in having shut things down, he hefted the duffel bag onto his shoulder and set it out in the hallway. Then he locked the door purposefully giving the knob a quick rattle of sorts to make sure it was secure. His eyes wandered down the hall toward the door on the left. _Wonder what Agent 13's up to? Since she still is kind of my 'babysitter', I should've left word... _He glanced at the phone and rolled his eyes. _That is if I had her number. These people should understand that there's a reason why we had phone books instead of that 'Goofball' that they look things up on. _With another deep breath, he descended the stairs slowly and headed out the front door.

Parked by the curb, Steve discovered a light blue Mazda awaiting him. He could see Sam sitting behind the wheel sporting a pair of shades. He opened the door slowly. "Hey, Sam. Thought you were meeting me at the airport."

"I thought so too. Just got a call from Agent 13. She and Romanov have some intel for us before we get on the plane," Sam reported. "You know anything about this, Cap?"

"Natasha just called me with the same thing. She said she couldn't tell me what it is over the phone. Do you know what's going on?" Steve wondered.

"Nope." Sam checked the address on his phone. "But they want us to meet at the Trailside Inn by the airport. Room 313." He glanced at his companion. "Seems weird to me, huh?"

"Natasha's been acting weird lately. Besides with Hydra still potentially out there, this could be a trap. We go in carefully," Steve directed.

"Roger that. Wish I still had my wings," Sam lamented as he started the car and drove them toward the interstate.

_You and me both. _Steve patted his shield to gain confidence. For some reason, something felt out of place but he'd deal with it.

For the duration of the ride, the partners cleared their heads. They made some small talk discovering a bit more about each other and their respective lives both growing up in New York and in the service. Sam spoke about a special forces officer named Leila Taylor that he'd met in Afghanistan and chatted with online.

Despite the different eras, Steve managed a smile. As they pulled into the inn's parking lot, he expressed, "Thanks, Sam."

"Thanks for what, Steve?" Sam parked the car and set the parking brake.

"For reaching out and sharing. It really makes the whole thing human, you know?" Steve clarified.

Sam cracked a grin. "That, Cap, is what makes the world go around. Makes me wish Leila was going in with us. I'd really love to have her training and marksmanship on our side."

"Me too, Sam. For that matter, I wish I could get the Avengers back together for this mission as well," Cap revealed. "We just have to make due though with what we have." He opened the door slowly and stepped out of the car guardedly. He slid his hand through the shield's straps and carried it with purpose before shutting the door. "You got that room number?"

"138. It's supposed to be right in front of us," Sam directed.

Steve saw the room about two doors down on the left. "Got it." He knocked carefully on the door.

Natasha opened the door with a perplexed expression. "What are you doing, Rogers? You're drawing attention. Both of you." She looked both ways to make sure the coast was clear. "Get in here."

"You and Carter weren't the clearest. It sounded like a trap," Sam retorted firmly. "Given that we're under the gun with what happened to SHIELD."

"We're clear, Colonel Wilson," Sharon assured him from the table on the other side of the hotel room. "Only two other military personnel know of this meeting. They're flying to London with us." She added to Steve, "My apologies, Captain Rogers. I should've told you I was going with you. Colonel Fury's orders."

"Fury's dead, Lady," Steve lied.

"Outside of this room," Natasha clarified. "In here everyone knows the deal, Rogers. And by the way, I'm going with you too."

"You are?" Steve quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "Thought you needed to get your life back in order?"

"That can wait. According to my sources, Hydra took Barnes to a base in Russia. You're going to need me there," Natasha retorted sharply with a pointed glance at the two men.

"_Russia?_" Steve collected himself.

"Apparently our Hydra friends have ties there," Sharon interjected.

Another sharp knock came from the door.

"Our last two party guests, I trust?" Sam presumed half-seriously.

"Allies actually," Natasha corrected him while peering through the door hole. "It's them. Thought you both might find this interesting." She offered a playful grin while opening the door.

The two guys exchanged confused looks.

First a toned African-American woman with shoulder length jet black hair walked into the room. She considered the quartet in the room before setting her purse on the table by the door. "Agent Romanov, it's good to see you again."

"Captain Taylor, likewise. You already know Agent Carter. The guys are Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson," Natasha introduced. "Captain Rogers, you want to step outside and debrief our last team member?"

"Sam and I already know each other," Captain Taylor indicated. She smiled at the Falcon warmly.

Steve stared pointedly at her. "What's going on? Natasha, what are you up to?"

The Black Widow locked eyes with him and smirked. "I arranged for an asset from your past to return. Figured it might help you regain your edge, Rogers. Go and find out."

"She won't bite, Captain Rogers. Honest," Captain Taylor assured him. "By the way, Sir, it's an honor." She offered him her hand enthusiastically.

"Likewise. Sam speaks highly of you," Steve agreed while shaking it firmly with his own. "Give me a minute." He stepped outside guardedly. Battlefield experience charged his senses not letting himself be taken by surprise. He looked around. "Hello?"

"Good to see you too, _Captain_," a familiar voice lilted from the shadows. The developing inkiness obscured her features.

His ears perked to the sound of the voice. His nose whiffed deep of the familiar perfume scent. He glanced back to the northeast and toward the nursing home. Then he turned back toward the shadowy figure again. "Step out and let me see you."

"Of course, Steve. We've both waited long enough," Peggy agreed as she stepped into the light. Her brown hair rustled slightly in the breeze. Her eyes sparkled at him. She struggled to keep herself composed when all she wanted to do was embrace and kiss him fiercely. She trembled ever so slightly.

"Peggy? How?" He almost dropped his shield from the shock of seeing her youth restored to its former glory once more. His senses swam with wonder and fear hoping she hadn't made some Faustian deal to pull this off. At the same time his heart began to beat fiercely. He walked toward her slowly. His eyes surveying her form to make sure they were no tricks or disguise involved.

It was her. Somehow it was really her….

"Agent 13…Sharon…and Ms. Romanov apparently found a serum Howard Stark had made for me at SHIELD years ago. Tony tested it and found it still viable two days ago. They gave it to me this afternoon," Peggy explained.

"And you took it? Peggy, it could kill you," Steve pointed out.

"And rotting away in that room isn't? Pushing you away isn't? It's been thirty years since Reginald died. Fifteen more since my children passed away. Sharon and you are all I have left, my Captain. If I hadn't taken it, I might have passed anyhow in my sleep or worse. This way, I have my chance to live again…" Peggy took his hands in hers and gently squeezed them. "You said you still wanted that dance."

Steve felt an almost excited tingle sparking through himself. "More than anything. But this is dangerous. I won't…"

"I'm just as capable as I was back in World War II, Captain. You need a teacher. And I want you. Forgive me for being so forward. I…" Peggy blushed and looked down at the sidewalk under her feet.

"It's okay." Steve gently raised her face back up so they were looking each other in the eye again. "I want nobody else more than you. _Ever._" He gently embraced her. "I survived the ice for you. I'm dealing with these people to help preserve what you built. Figured maybe I could share in it?"

She shrugged. "Sounds like you already have been." Her brightly red painted lips smirked almost mischievously. "Kiss me."

Without a further thought, his lips pressed down firmly on hers. Sparks danced between them before blossoming into _Amor_'s flame. Refreshing and reassuring energy flowed back and forth between their hearts.

The rest of the world and its modern issues didn't matter. Nothing else did.

In that minute Steve and Peggy held each other. They were the only two in the world to one another. After seventy years' separation, their parched souls embraced the nourishment greedily. All they wanted was each other.

"I never want to be parted from you again," he insisted.

"That is my wish as well, Captain. For all of us," she concurred. "Colonel Barnes needs us."

He nodded. "We're going to get Bucky back. Then we have some things to discuss."

Her heart skipped a beat at those statements. A tremor of excitement that he wanted her permanently in his life again shot through her. Still she maintained the stiff upper lip. "Very good, Captain. I shall be waiting for whatever you wish to say." She leaned closely to him. "And if it's what I think it is, my answer will be 'yes'."

He smiled warmly. "That comes after the mission. Business first as you would've reminded me."

"Indeed, Captain. One has to have faith to love after all." She led him back into the room. "I believe we are ready for this mission now, Everyone." Peggy strode up to Sam and offered his hand. "Agent Peggy Simmons. You're Sam Wilson?"

"Uh yeah." Sam offered his hand guardedly. "Sorry. Until this afternoon, you were really old. Captain Taylor just briefed me on what happened. Good to have you onboard."

"Likewise," Peggy replied crisply. "Shall we get down to that briefing, Everyone? I believe we have a plane to catch in four hours."

The others nodded and sat down a small table between the two double beds in the room's center. They passed paper work between themselves for the next forty-five minutes getting details on point. Finally they folded everything up and made sure that the details were all set.

Steve inspected the room one last time making sure that nothing was left behind. Perhaps it was because of Peggy's renewed presence that his nerves were on edge…that he wanted nothing bad to happen. He shook his head while shutting the door.

"Nerves, Captain?" Peggy wondered while waiting for him outside.

"I'm anxious. You just don't walk into Russia unprepared," Steve explained.

"You made into Austria, remember? We can do this too," she assured him. "Come on."

He nodded while following her down the stairs and toward Sam's car where the others waited for them. He focused on the mission as always and keeping the team alive. Just like in World War II however, he was personally involved and attached to the people involved.

How that would affect things remained to be seen…..


	8. Storms

Conclusion

[Hydra "Miracles Chamber"—Somewhere in Eastern Russia]

[A/N: Hope you sat through the post-credits extra scenes, Folks…]

A chill wind blew the wastes' sand into a perpetual frenzy. The few lakes' waves crashed furiously against their shores. Within a month's time, the first snows of the season would cover the landscape once more concealing it and the squat building resting in the midst of the tall mountains around itself.

Within that building and the floors beneath it, Hydra analysts and scientists worked through world conquest scenarios. They experimented on mutants and humans alike to bring out new abilities to serve their cause. They created new weapons of destruction.

Overseeing the facility, Baron von Strucker strutted through the area with purpose. He drove his brethren with purpose toward the next phase of the Master's plan. Since recapturing the AWOL Winter Soldier two days earlier, he'd kept the latter in deep freeze until they could reprogram him again.

With a look toward the cyro-chamber, Strucker left the area heading for his own bunker. The Supreme One would want an update on matters.

Pity he didn't know what was going on in the chamber….

Even within his suspended animation, the Winter Soldier felt the chamber's intense cold. Steel manacles restrained his wrists and ankles A reverse generator syphoned power from his bionic arm so it couldn't break loose.

Still his mind struggled to understand….

_Your name is James Buchanan Barnes. I won't fight you! _the blonde haired one—Captain America had said….

_No not just Captain America….Steve…Steve Rogers…._

_Who is Steve Rogers?_

_Who is Bucky Barnes?_

For some reason, another glimmer of _Memoria_'s assault had cracked yet another round of Hydra hypnotism. Her assault on the transformed agent's mind split his mind setting off another violent spasm.

And so it went…

[Stark Industries Jet Crossing the Atlantic]

Thanks to Tony Stark, Cap's strike force bypassed the lines at the airport for a more efficient charter vehicle. The supersonic jet cut through the storms over the Atlantic and still managed to keep a great pace toward the British Isles. In addition he'd rebuilt Sam's wings with great improvements for the mission to come.

Onboard, the team acquainted (and in some cases, reacquainted themselves) with each other. They briefed themselves more in-depth than they had in the hotel room. They inspected their weapons and made sure they had mentally prepared for the MI-6 briefing upon their arrival at the group's facility.

As much as the storm crashed outside its fuselage, the passengers dealt with stuff too….

Steve stared out the window into the rain soaked misty darkness outside. Since takeoff, he'd tried to remain involved in briefings. He'd spoken to Sam and Captain Taylor about some things. And of course he enjoyed Peggy's companionship…that went without saying.

Still his mind kept flashing back to the Austrian mission where he freed the 107th from the Red Skull's facility. Once again he found himself on the little bombardier plane banking between mortar shots with Howard and Peggy.

"_Do you…do you fondue?" _he heard himself ask her through _Tempus' _ears once more.

He cracked a wistful smile. As he later found out, she had no intentions of course of going for anything with the industrialist playboy…that she had eyes for a certain super soldier….

Given that understanding, _Jealousy _parachuted out of the transport not to be seen anew.

_You needed to have more faith_, he reminded himself.

A flash of lightning crackled off the port side and jarred his memory again.

Once more fiery explosions blossomed underneath Bucky and him in the facility.

_Go! Leave!_

_NO! NOT WITHOUT YOU! Bucky had protested in response._

_I still don't know how I managed that leap through the flames. Even then he was looking out for me. _Steve bowed his head sadly.

He could still see Bucky falling to his apparent death in that snow covered gorge disappearing from view….

…an illusion he'd held until running into the Winter Soldier on the overpass….

…no not the Winter Soldier…_Bucky under some sort of Nazi mind warping_….

_I won't rest until we get you back, Bucky. I know you're in there. You saved me. I saved you. We're in this together! _He turned to look at Sam, Captain Taylor, Sharon, Natasha and last but not least, his beloved Peggy. _They're here for us too, you Big Jerk. If I have to, I'll call in the damn Avengers. We. Are. Bringing. You. Home. And, as Howard would've said, write that one down._

Once more he considered Peggy as she reviewed the mission intel. He marveled at how she studiously took the whole deal in stride. Only he probably could understand what it took for her to go from senior invalid to revived battlefront warrior again in a heartbeat…

…still that was Peggy Carter Simmons…the woman worthy of his heart….

He stole over to where she sat and lowered himself into the opposite seat with barely a sound so as not to disturb her.

Still her lips turned upward into a pleasant smile. "Still worried about Mr. Barnes, are you, Captain? We will get him back."

"We have to, Peggy. I'm not letting him rot in that state out there. We've always been there for each other. Even when we fought the last time, he still saved me. I know that," he asserted. He noted her half-empty coffee cup. "Get you a refill?"

"I'd appreciate that. Always my gentleman," she expressed while handing him the mug. As he headed toward the coffee maker, she watched him warmly. Given what she'd seen of men over the previous seven decades, Steve represented the exception and certainly not the rule. She admired how he put the Greater Good above his own good….

…not even the ice or the jarring shift to this new time could take that out of him….

"Still take it the old way?" he queried kindly. "I fixed it the way you had it at Allied Headquarters."

She chuckled while sipping on his handiwork. Her eyes shone warmly at him for his efforts. "After all of this time, you still remember those little things. You do have an eye for detail, Captain."

"And I'm looking at a masterpiece right now." He so wanted to kiss her at that moment. Yet he forced himself to remain focused on the mission. As such he contented himself with her companionship for the moment at least.

"Why, Captain, are you trying to tell me something?" she teased while trying not to blush at his latest assessment. "That sounded dangerously like a pick up line." She squeezed his hand gently. "Unlike a lot of the blokes out there, I know you mean it in the best possible way."

"Glad you took it that way because that's how I meant it," he replied with a relaxed smile. He really couldn't believe he'd been so uptight around her at first. "Glad I'm finally figuring out how to talk with you."

"Of course you are. You're having more confidence. And well you should given everything you've survived and overcome. _The Star Spangled Man with a Plan_, correct?" she complimented with a teasing barb at the end.

At her reference to the war effort shows, it was his turn to laugh. "Ouch. That sounds tacky."

"It works for you though. You're prepared. You have the best around you always. Now let's get these specs down, shall we? We have a couple of hours before we land," she declared.

"Whatever the lady wants," he concurred willingly while shifting over to her right.

For the remainder of that flight, they poured over the materials taking in every detail in the process. Previous experience against Hydra had taught of the enemy's tenacity; a quality they had indeed best be prepared for….

_Cut off one head and two more will take its place….._

They'd dealt their enemies a crippling blow stateside. Still now they were about to play another game away from home so to speak…

…and Hydra had the new head and yet another growing….

A storm more fierce than the one they were flying through loomed on the horizon.

Question was how Love would persevere…that would be telling indeed…..

THE END (for now)


End file.
